Beyond Fate
by ThatOneGuyThatWrites
Summary: Corrin abdicates the throne of Valla, leaving with Azura to a strange new world. The former king searches for the wisdom to rule, Azura by his side. Corrin X Azura. AU-Kinda
1. Into the unknown

Corrin had a knife to his throat.

He swallowed slowly, careful not to disturb the wielder's concentration. He grimaced as the blade was dragged slowly down his neck, almost to his collarbone. The process was repeated several times, each pass making Corrin more and more uncomfortable. The blade, dulled beyond belief, blazed against his raw skin.

With a final hum, Azura brought the knife back and cleaned it on a rag. Corrin breathed out heavily and ran a tentative hand over his freshly-shaved neck.

"Dusk Dragon..." He cursed. "I'd rather deal with an itchy chin than go through that again."

Azura smiled and slid the shaving knife back into its sheathe. She stood from the side of the river and began to load their few supplies onto the stolen pack horse. She hummed as she tightened a few straps, securing the food and blankets.

Corrin peered into the river beside him, unable to see his reflection clearly among the raging waters. He wished they had camped an hour back, where they found that small creek. The water was slow enough for him to see his reflection, at least. That way he wouldn't have had Azura shave him.

"East?" Azura asked as she took the reins of the horse in her hands.

"East." Corrin nodded.

They marched in silence for a time, side-by-side as the horse trotted dutifully behind them. They had been following an old trail of some sort, long overgrown in disuse. The path varied from tight, dark sections of forestry to wide open plains, still never drifting from a due east course. They ate lunch while they walked, a handful of dried meat and some bread.

By the time dusk rolled around, Azura spotted a collection of pine trees that provided some cover with their low-hanging branches. The horse was once again tied to a tree and given food and water. Corrin and Azura shared a small fire, both huddling close for warmth. They roasted a small bowl of stew and shared it, passing it back and fourth.

When dinner was cleaned up Corrin laid on his back and stared upward, examining the features of the tree's bark. The pine's bark was peeled back, revealing its light-coloured trunk. He imagined small faces in the knots, faces of his friends they left behind.

"Azura." Corrin said quietly. The bluenette wiped her hands on her travelling pants and sat down beside him on the rough blanket.

"Yes, Corrin?"

"Did we make the right choice?"

Silence fell over the two, the only sounds that of the crackling campfire and the occasional whinny of the horse nearby.

Azura opened her mouth slowly. "I think we made a choice that is right for _us_ , not for them." She said carefully.

"Do you think they are mad at us?" Corrin asked as he rubbed his hands together for warmth.

"I have no doubt Xander and Ryoma are furious at you for shirking your duties." Azura said with a coy smile. "Though they would no doubt be even more enraged at me. They must think I spirited you away on some fool's errand. I wonder what Camilla must think..."

Corrin rolled over to her and looked at Azura with concern. "You were very distant, Azura. There's no doubt in my mind had you spoke to them, come to dinners more, they would have easily embraced you as a friend. As family."

It was true. Azura was distant from most others in the army. Even when she tried to connect with her Nohrian siblings, there was nothing of substance. She simply found a friend in Corrin, and a little in Kaze, and stuck to them. Azura knew she was far too aloof for her own good. But that was her nature, ever since she had been kidnapped by Hoshido.

Corrin placed a calming hand on her arm. "Do not worry, Az. We will return when we feel ready. I bet they'll throw a huge celebration when we stroll back into the castle. For now, let's just keep moving forward."

Azura looked away form Corrin quickly, her breath coming in fast gasps. The though of such a large group of people, all focused on her...Anxiety gripped her as she felt a wave of nausea pass over her.

She swallowed hard and fell to the blanket beside Corrin, finding comfort beside her friend. She shifted closer, shaking slightly. Corrin thought it to be the result of cold and spread his cloak over her shivering frame.

Azura felt herself calm at his touch, if only slightly.

()()()()

The days that followed were no more exciting than the last. Walking, camping, hunting, and foraging. Corrin, during times when he couldn't sleep, read one of the few books he had brought from Nohr by firelight. During the day, he tried to search out signs of any civilization. So far, the only thing they had found was the hardly discernible path they followed. It may have been an old hunting trail, or some sort of abandoned trade route. Corrin could only guess.

They didn't even know if they were in a _kingdom_. There were hardly any signs of humanity. When they arrived in this land, from a portal connected to a secret room in Valla's treasury, there were no signs of life save for the ruins of a castle.

Corrin had settled on travelling east, with the rising sun. Hopefully they wouldn't end up in some desert. Corrin hated deserts.

"Corrin, look!" Azura gasped. Corrin followed her outstretched hand, to a range of distant mountains to the north-east. He squinted against the morning light and raised a hand to shade his eyes.

The mountains were grey and bleak, topped with snow. About halfway up one of the mountainsides he could just make out the general shape of what looked to be some sort of temple-like construction.

"Good eyes, Az." Corrin complimented with a wide smile.

Azura bit her lip as she smiled as well, trying to ignore how her stomach fluttered at the comment.

Corrin spoke quickly, guiding the horse off the path and through the loose underbrush. "C'mon! I bet we could reach the base by nightfall."

()()()()

They didn't.

Rain had fallen hours later, a sudden storm. They took shelter near a small formation of rocks. The stone hung out over the ground, leaving just enough room for the two to crouch in and light a tiny fire. The belongings that couldn't afford to get wet were crammed as close to the rock wall as it could get. The horse, metal tools, and extra gear was left with the horse in the cold rain.

Corrin lay with back to the freezing rain, facing inwards in the small confines of the outcropping. Azura lay with her back to his chest, both shivering violently as the rain pelted down. The fire did little to warm them, and soon it died. With all the wood soaked outside, they could only pull the extra blanket out and hold each other close.

Corrin breathed out shakily as his teeth clattered together. "H-hey...Az?" He asked in a shaky voice.

"Y-y-yes?"

"I don't suppose you learned h-how to use a fire tome, did y-you?" Corrin smiled, knowing full well she had become a kinshi knight in the war, a unit focused on lance and bow training.

"None o-of us know h-how to use magic..." Azura cried with frustration.

"Wish I took Leo up on his offer..." Corrin muttered to himself, recalling the time his younger brother offered to teach him in the ways of magic.

Corrin managed to fall into a half-awake trance, not quite asleep yet not quite awake. It gave him little rest. When morning came, finally free of rain, they shook out the water from their packs and dried what they could, delaying travel until they could stand to walk in their own clothes.

Corrin thought he spotted something skitter away behind the rocks, but his bleary eyes didn't aid him in his search. He shrugged and resumed trying to get the water out of Azura's quiver of arrows.

When they finally arrived at the base of the mountain in mid-afternoon, Corrin was disappointed to find the temple looking half-destroyed. From what he could see, it appeared that portions of the structure had decayed and fallen down the mountain, leaving piles of old rubble. Grass grew between the fallen stone. The collapse happened some time ago, if he had to guess.

"It's a ruin..." Corrin sighed.

Azura tied the horse to a tree and began to feed it grains. "We could climb up and investigate." Azura offered. "We might be able to find more signs of people..."

Corrin nodded. "It's a good idea, but there's no clear path. The horse wouldn't be able to follow us."

Azura remained silent as she looked up at the temple. From her angle it seemed a sheer climb at points, and she could faintly spot what looked to be some sort of handholds carved into the stone. Maybe it was some sort of ritual to climb the rock? A secret entrance?

"If we climb up, and we find nothing, we could come down and get the horse, continue on." Corrin thought aloud. "But if we do climb, find people and enter the temple, the horse starves to death tied to a tree." He grimaced.

Azura patted the horse a few times as it drank from a puddle. "Well...we don't quite own the horse." She said.

Corrin grinned. "You're right...we took it away from its royal carriage pulling in Hoshido. I'm sure it enjoyed being here much more than paraded around Hoshido." He came to stand beside Azura and looked at her seriously.

"What should we do?" He asked.

"Why ask?" Azura said, her tone soft. "I'll follow you anywhere. There's no need to ask my opinion. Just speak the word and I will follow your every command."

"And I you." Corrin replied in kind. "But, Az, this is a serious situation. We could end up in trouble if we choose wrong." He paused for a moment. "And I value your opinion. Greatly."

"So we choose what to do together." Azura said as she unclasped a blanket from the horse. She spread it on the driest part of ground she could find. There would be no fire tonight, everything was still wet.

"We are bound by fate." Corrin said with a chuckle. Azura let out a nervous giggle. She wondered why the lame statement had made her heart flutter.

"So what shall we do?' Azura asked as she shed her travelling cloak and wrapped it around herself like a blanket. Corrin followed suit and lay across from her.

"Let's think on it." He said. "We shall speak in the morning."

Corrin dreaded making the wrong decision. They simply had too much gear to carry themselves, not without slowing them down significantly. While they had no exact location or time frame to reach it, slowing down meant a less chance of contacting civilization. More time hunting and foraging. More time lost in this new world.

Corrin rolled over and frowned, staring into the gathering darkness around camp.

That night, he had nightmares of Azura's death.

()()()()

Azura woke quickly, her hand flying to the dagger at her waist. Behind her, she could hear the wails of an animal in pain and a strange chittering. She opened her eyes to find herself facing a strange, gold-eyed creature. She panicked silently as she trashed and kicked at the thing.

It reeled back far enough for Azura to stand. She pulled her knife from her belt and held it in front of herself defensively. She noticed out of the corner of her eye Corrin was still asleep. She kicked him in the stomach, _hard_. This was no time for him to sleep in like usual.

As Corrin scrambled to his feet, irritated, Azura got a good look at the strange creature. It was short, only about to her waist, and hunched over. Its skin was sickly green, or so she thought in the pre-dawn light. It wore sections of tree bark like armour, with cloth smallclothes. Finally, she noticed it held a small tree branch with animal teeth stuck on one end.

"What in gods..." Corrin muttered before finally spotting the creature. "GODS!" He yelled as he pulled the sword out of its sheathe. He pointed it at the strange creature, breathing heavily. Behind the two, the horse whined and snorted, drawing Azura's attention.

The horse was surrounded by more of the small creatures, at last half a dozen. They poked and slashed at the horse, screeching and hollering in their gurgled voices the whole time. "Corrin, there's more." Azura hissed, taking a step closer to the man.

Corrin slowly knelt down and felt around with his hand. He never took his eyes off the green thing in his blind search. Finally he found his pack and threw it over one shoulder. All the rest of the gear was still attached or piled up around the horse, where the rest of the things were.

"What should we do?" Corrin asked as he tightened the strap of his pack.

Azura watched as the horse kick one of the creatures square in the chest. The thing simply took a step back, a hand flying to its bruised chest. She grimaced. A hit like that would have broken her ribs.

"Climb." Azura said quickly. She tucked her knife into her belt and ran towards the sheer mountain wall. She climbed quickly, ignoring the horse's terrified cries. Corrin kept his back to the wall as the single creature that had woken Azura growled and stalked towards him.

He raised his sword in warning, but the thing kept advancing. Corrin grunted as he thrust outwards, the tip of the blade easily breaking through the tree-bark armour. Instead of slicing through flesh, however, the blade met what felt like steel. Corrin's arm shook at the sudden impact.

"Dusk Dragon..." He muttered before spinning on his heel and jumping up on the rocks, quickly pulling himself up after Azura in fear. They climbed as fast as they could, the jeers and calls of the green monsters echoing after them.

It was not until after the sun had risen did they stop. Their hands and bare feet raw and freezing, they could only slump against each other on the small rocky outcropping they rested on. The forest beneath them was just a sea of green. Looking up, Corrin couldn't determine how far they were from the temple.

"Sleep, Az." Corrin said softly. "I'll make you you don't fall."

"I don't think I could sleep, Corrin."

"Me neither."

"What were those things?" Azura asked, knowing full well that Corrin wouldn't have any idea. They were in a strange land, literal dimensions away from their home. Those...things could be, well, anything.

"They looked like small people, like dwarves from old Nohrian legends, though in the legends they didn't have green skin." Corrin mused. "I wonder if they are the ones who built that castle we came from."

Azura shook her head. "Those things wore tree bark like armour, held wooden clubs and wore skins. I doubt they have the technology to create a castle."

"What if..." Corrin's imagination took off like a Nohrian race horse. "What if those were the people who made the castle, but they were cursed or something, then twisted into that race."

Aura blinked.

"No?" Corrin glanced at her. He caught her deadpan stare. "Right, right. Sorry, just...it was a thought."

They sat in silence for some time. Azura played with a strand of hair. Corrin rooted through his pack, taking stock.

"Okay." Corrin huffed. "We have firestarter, matches, three books, a handful of berries, two strips of dried venison, a shirt, and my shaving kit." Corrin groaned. "Your knife and my sword."

"Nothing else." Azura put her head in her hands. "We...could go down and see if they are still there, if they left our gear?"

"I stabbed that thing, hard, in the chest. I don't even know if my sword broke through the skin. I'd rather not take that chance."

"So, we climb until we get to the temple, then what?"

"Hope for the best."

()()()()

Corrin gasped as he hauled himself over the sharp rock, the edges digging into his stomach. He pulled himself up and rolled to the side. He stared up at the sky as he caught his breath. Azura appeared a moment later, her pale hands grasping at the edge.

Corrin leaned over and grabbed one arm, helping her over the ledge. Azura fell beside him, both on their backs as they gasped for air. Corrin raised his hands to his face, scowling at the burning, raw skin. He blew weakly on his hands in an attempt to cool the skin.

After a few moments he sat up and looked around. They were on a wide section of flat rock. Towards the east, the rock met what looked to be an old staircase carved into the stone. The staircase connected to the remains of the temple, which stretched eastward along the side of the mountain.

The temple, fort, castle, tunnel, whatever it was, must have looked amazing when it was younger. Corrin could imagine the towering pillars, huge flags and tapestries billowing in the wind. He imagined collections of people praying, talking, living here as they looked out over the sea of green beneath them.

Azura placed a hand on his shoulder, startling him. She grinned at him. "Come, Corrin. Let's head inside and see what we can find."

Corrin nodded sheepishly as he followed the songstress. They climbed up the awkward, half-destroyed stairs and walls, making their way onto the temple grounds proper. It looked like they were a sort of courtyard, where grass and fountains once stood proud. What grass remained grew long and wild, poking through stone and rubble.

A great archway linked the courtyard to the inner portion of the temple. Azura and Corrin stepped slowly inside, their footsteps echoing off the high, curved ceiling. What was once vibrant colours and ancient paintings had worn away, leaving strange blotches of colour on walls that still stood proud.

The interior of the temple was a massive, _massive_ , dome, ribbed with rough archways. Rooms and hallways branched off from the main room like a spiderweb. Some skeletons lay near on wall, long decayed. More rubble and stone littered the floor of the domed room.

On the far side of the dome, another archway, like the one Azura and Corrin had come through, teased light from the other side of the mountain.

"Impressive." Corrin commented, whistling for good measure. His whistle, a sharp noise, echoed off the walls and disappeared into the depths of the old stone temple. A few moments later, the whistle was answered by an earth-shaking roar.

Azura and Corrin shared a panicked glance, both nodding and sprinting towards the far end of the temple. They vaulted and jumped over piles of rubble, ignoring the sharp pains of stones stabbing their feet.

The ground rumbled and shook as something stirred to life. Corrin breathed heavily as he caught himself from falling, muttering curses the whole time.

Behind them, a thunderous crash shook the very mountain. Loose stone fell from the roof, crashing near the two.

" _HALT!"_ A loud voice roared behind them. Azura felt compelled to obey, as if the voice itself held a magical force in the syllables.

Corrin and Azura skidded to a stop, the archway still a good hundred feet away. They turned slowly, Corrin fearful of what he would face. He gasped.

A great brown dragon. stood proud in the centre of the dome, its horned head almost touching the roof. It was like no dragon either of them had seen before, with brown scales and four legs. A set of impressive wings spread out behind it, the veins in the skin showing against the light. The creature grinned and roared, a pillar of flame scorching the ceiling.

" _YOU."_ It bellowed, red eyes staring at Corrin. _"YOU ARE HUMAN, YET SOMEHOW MY KIN."_ The dragon lowered its head, exhaling a burst of heated breath against Corrin. _"HOW IS THIS POSSIBLE?"_

Corrin shot a fearful glance to Azura. She was simply frozen, staring up at the beast.

 _"ANSWER ME, OR YOU WILL BURN!"_


	2. The Valley

Corrin paled as he stared up at the towering dragon. With each inhale the hulking creature blew smoke out its nostrils, looking like something out of Nohrian legend.

" _HOW?"_ The dragon repeated.

Corrin reached slowly into his pocket and withdrew his dragonstone. He held it in front of him, letting the green gem sparkle in the dusty light. "Using this, it's called a-a dragonstone." Corrin said. His voice shook, betraying his pride.

 _"A PEBBLE?"_ The dragon snorted and flicked its tail, sweeping piles of rock away as if it were nothing.

"Not a pebble!" Corrin muttered through clenched teeth. "It's a magic stone that let's me access my dragon blood." He paused a moment as he searched for the right words. "People where I come from have shared blood with dragons, allowing us to use these stones!"

It wasn't all true, only he was able to transform, but the dragon didn't need to get bogged down in the small details. The dragon snorted, sending loose dust on the ground soaring into the air. It growled deeply, the sound reverberating off the walls.

 _"SHOW ME_." It hissed.

Corrin nodded and tightened his fist around the orb. He focused for a moment, breathing slowly. He was enveloped in light moments later, blinding and white. Then, he stood. Corrin's majestic dragon form. Sleek and metallic, with blue highlights and veins of water bubbles in the air around him. Azura stared at him with unrestrained appreciation. She, unlike others, adored his dragon form. It was noble and strong and beautiful and proud, just like the man. Azura cleared her throat roughly and tore her eyes off her...friend.

Corrin roared, his voice distorted and metallic. The water around him slowed to a gentle flow, his tail flicking behind him. Azura reached down ad picked up Corrin's bag form where he dropped it, slinging it over her shoulders. She was worried they'd have to make a quick exit.

The dragon leaned down and sniffed at Corrin's smaller frame. Corrin, even when in dragon form, was still only bigger than a horse. The dragon they faced was massive, easily the size of a large building. It reared its great head back, growling.

 _"THAT IS NO DRAGON."_ It roared. _"LEAVE!"_

Corrin quickly transformed back into a human, clutching at his head. Transforming always gave him a slight headache. Azura took him by the arm and hurried off towards the great archway, peeking over her shoulder as the dragon watched them go. It snorted again, a little fire leaving its gaping maw, before it spread its wings and roared. Azura winced and tugged Corrin along faster, fearful that the dragon may simply change its mind and chase after them again.

As soon as they crossed the arch way, Azura risked another glance over her shoulder, and was relieved to find no dragon at their backs. The temple lay empty once again, the only sign of a dragon ever there a large black stain on the roof from its fire breath. Azura let out a long breath as she leaned Corrin on the wall and dropped his pack to the stone.

"Dusk Dragon..." Corrin hissed through his teeth as the pounding in his skull finally subsided. He looked around, finding himself on the outside of the temple. "It...it let us live?" He asked with a faint chuckle. "Gods...I thought we were dead!" He turned to Azura and grabbed her shoulders. "Did you say anything? Did I mess up?"

Azura shook her head. "No, after you transformed...it just let us leave."

"Just like that?"

"Mhm."

Corrin shrugged. "Huh...I guess I really _do_ have the devil's own luck..." He muttered. He ran a hand through his unruly white hair, staring at the entrance and back into the depths of the temple, half expecting to see the dragon waiting for him. "I feel sorry for the thing..."

Azura gave him a curious look. She even tilted her head and everything, forcing Corrin to bite his cheek and swallow the blush no doubt forming on his face. "Sorry for it why?" Azura asked. Not that she didn't feel anything for the dragon, she just didn't have any information to direct her emotions either way.

"Look at me, I'm part-dragon at least and I love being with people. I'm a social person. Most creatures are." He bit back a jab at Azura's social skills, knowing that nothing good would come of it. "And what creature as noble and intelligent as that dragon would want to live alone?"

"Are you suggesting that it is the last of its kind?"

Corrin smiled sadly. "Could be, you know me. I always enjoy a good story, a bit of imagination. It could be that we're in a world of dragons, and that one isn't too kind. Or maybe its a criminal, hiding far from the other dragons. I have no idea." He shrugged and gave her a goofy grin.

Azura giggled in that sing-song way of hers. Corrin blushed and turned around, deciding to instead look around. The other side of the mountain from where they had camped the night before looked about the same. A huge valley lay before them, with a water fall in the distance creating a river that flowed through the centre. A huge forest of evergreens surrounded the river and edges of the valley.

To the west of the river lay a great grassy plain, where a collection what looked to be tents were set up. The area north of those tents were dedicated to fields of wheat and what Corrin assumed to be other edible foods. The eastern side of the river was almost exactly mirrored, though these tents were much rounder and wider in shape. He could just make out the forms of people sitting around small fires scattered about.

"Azura!" He called, grinning widely. "Look!"

Azura came to his side, his pack in her hands. "Amazing..." She said quietly. "Shall we go?"

Corrin peered over the edge, finding only the same footholds and rock ledges as the other side. It seemed that if anyone wanted to visit the dragon, they had to prove themselves in a test of endurance and strength. Or so Corrin thought. In all reality, the stairs that led to the temple probably just crumbled away over time.

Corrin took Azura's hand as she lowered herself over the edge, wincing as she began to descend. After Azura had climbed down a few feet, Corrin slung himself over and began to follow.

()()()()

The climb down was just as hard as the climb up. Frequent rests were taken on what rocky outcroppings they could find. On a few, they had seen what looked to be remains of campfires and animal bones. What little food they had was shared on the breaks, leaving only one strip of venison just in case. When they finally reached the bottom of the mountain, it was dark.

Corrin let go of the rocks, his hands even worse than before. Blood trickled down his forearm as he winced and wiped them on his cloak. Azura had left her cloak behind in the morning, having no time and too panicked to even think about grabbing it.

They stood for a moment, both tired and aching from the scaling an entire mountain in one day. Corrin simply laid his pack on the ground and withdrew a small bundle of firestarter and his few matches. He broke a few twigs on the ground and swept a clear area near the rocks. He began to create a fire as Azura ripped his spare shirt into strips, creating makeshift bandages from the fabric and tying it to her bleeding hands. Luckily, her feet did not bleed. A lifetime of walking barefoot toughened up the soles. In a similar fashion, Corrin's feet only ached a little.

As Corrin finally created the fire, he winced as he felt the heat stinging against his palms. He cried out and cursed under his breath, waving them quickly in the air to try and cool the burning flesh. Azura was at his side a second later. She wrapped his hands carefully and slowly, just as familiar with the pain as he was. They both sat down with their backs to the mountain, staring at the campfire.

"Long day." Corrin muttered as he drew his cloak around his and Azura's legs like a blanket.

"Mhm." Azura hummed.

They leaned close together, the cloak not nearly big enough to cover them both. Azura felt herself drifting off almost immediately, leaning her head on Corrin's shoulder. Corrin blushed and smiled, happy to finally see Azura rest. He scanned the treeline for any threats.

Seeing nothing but still anxious, Corrin placed the sword in his lap and wrapped one hand around the pommel. His other arm wrapped around Azura, pulling her close. He felt his heart ache from holding her so close, and if he had to, he could claim he simply did it in his sleep.

()()()()

Azura ran a hand over her neck, wincing. "I'm never sleeping like that again." She huffed.

"I agree." Corrin said as he rolled his stiff shoulders.

They walked in the general direction of the westernmost camp, deciding it seemed to be closer to them. Corrin was anxious about meeting the supposed people that lived there. For all he knew they could be like the green monsters they met in the woods. He clenched his jaw at the thought. He wouldn't let any harm come to Azura.

They walked for some time, hungry, aching, and tired. The weather was lovely, not too warm nor too cold, with a gentle wind flowing through the valley. Only a few clouds dotted the sky, and Corrin's eyes widened as he spotted _two_ pale orbs hanging in the sky. "Azura..." He muttered. "Is that a second moon?"

Azura followed his gaze and stared upwards, craning her neck. "I suppose it is." He said. "I wonder why we never noticed it before?"

Corrin shrugged and urged them onwards, stomach grumbling at the thought of food. Occasionally he glanced up to sky, taking in the strange sight. He was _sure_ he would have noticed two moons days ago, so why now? Corrin bit his lip as he pondered, coming up with little to explain. In fact, he couldn't explain much about this new world.

"Stop!" A distinctly female voice called from the trees.

Corrin's hand flew to the hilt of his sword, Azura's to her knife. In the split-second since they'd heard the voice, they already had blades in hand and stood back-to-back in the clearing. Corrin frowned as he spotted many human-like shapes in the trees, all holding on to spears or bows with arrows nocked.

"Sheathe your weapons, outsiders." The voice called again as a shapely woman stepped out of the shade of a tall evergreen. She was tall, at least a head taller than Corrin, with sickly yellow skin and red paint across her cheeks. She wore furs and leather, and held what looked to be a club made from the jaw bone of some animal, fangs and all. What caught Corrin's attention was her large solidly black eyes and long, pointed ears.

"I am Shiani, of the Naeyr tribe." She said, pounding a fist against her chest. "Who are you?"

Corrin swallowed as he reluctantly sheathed his sword, Azura following suit. Azura's wide golden eyes looked to Corrin, searching for his plan of action.

"I am Corrin and this is Azura, of the Vallite...tribe..." He said in a steady voice, trying his best to exude an air of confidence.

"Greetings Corrin and Azura." Shiani said with a slight inclination of her head. Around her, the shapes of more people that dressed like her and looked similar stepped out. They lowered their weapons, but did not put them away. "The Naeyr tribe would ask you why you are here, and how you came into this valley."

"We are here because..." Corrin frowned, looking to Azura. The bluenette stepped forward, her hands coming to her chest.

"We are here because we seek to learn more about ourselves, to gain wisdom in the ways of the world. We seek strength and knowledge, to become better people." Azura said calmly, her face a mask of indifference. Corrin nodded his head, agreeing completely with the songstress.

"How did you get here?" Shiani pressed, uncaring of Azura's earlier words. It seemed that she only wished to know how they arrived, and the first question was just a formality. Corrin grit his teeth. What had they got themselves into?

"We came through a door to our home, travelled for many days and climbed the mountain." She motioned to the ruined temple up the mountain behind her. The structure was just barely in sight through the trees.

"You came through the temple of Ad'ashal!?" Shiani exclaimed, grabbing Azura by the shoulders. Corrin reached for his sword, his frown deepening. He wouldn't let anything happen to Azura. Bows and spears were aimed at him once again, and he reluctantly lowered his arm.

"Yes... we passed through there yesterday." Azura confirmed.

"By the Ashalan..." Shinai muttered. "Gorin!" She yelled. A man wearing bear skins and paint across his bare chest stepped forward, spear in one hand. "Run ahead to the village, let Eldar Adesi know of what is coming." The man nodded and disappeared into the brush.

' _What is coming?'_ Corrin thought. ' _What_ is _coming?'_

Shiani released Azura, who took a step closer to Corrin. Shiani remained in place, watching them both with her solid black eyes.

"What...is coming?" Corrin asked slowly.

Shiani grinned wickedly and flashed her pointed teeth. "Death."


End file.
